AMCS Bulletin 5 Reprint a REPORT on CAVE SPIDERS FROM
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!"#$%&'(()*+,%-%.)/0+,* A REPORT ON CAVE SPIDERS FROM MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 1 Willis J. Gertsch2 Curator Emeritus, American Museum of Natural History, New York About one hundred species of spiders have so far can caves. been reported from cave habitats in Mexico and in- The obligate cavernicoles are always of special tensive collecting surveys will eventually enlarge this interest because of deep commitment to cave exist- list several times. In an earlier paper Gertsch (1971) ence. Six additional species from Mexico and Central cited 86 species, most of them new, and the present America enlarge this total to 19 from the 13 Mexican report further enlarges the Mexican fauna by addition taxa noted in the earlier paper. Two additional fami- of 20 species of which 16 are herein described for the lies, Telemidae and Ochyroceratidae, are now repre- first time. In addition, eight new species are reported sented as listed below. from caves in Guatemala, Belize (British Honduras), Family Dipluridae and Panama of Central America, the larger area con- Euagrus anops, new species sidered in this paper. Additional records with full Cueva de la Porra, San Luis POtOSI: Mexico. collecting data are presented for some species noted Family Theraphosidae on earlier lists, and I look forward to future considera- Schizopelma reddelli, new species tion of spider families not mentioned here. Cueva del Nacimiento del RIO San Antonio, Spiders are important predators of crawling and Oaxaca, Mexico. flying invertebrates and penetrate into all parts of Family Pholcidae caves where prey is present. The regional cave fauna is Metagonia martha, new species derived from local taxa and comprises distinctive ele- Cueva del Nacimiento del RIO San Antonio, ments. Some big-eyed vagrants that depend on sight Oaxaca, Mexico. for hunting cannot exist very long in caves. Most Metagonia jarmila, new species cave dwellers have been derived from available cryptic Bucks Bypass Cave, Belize types of both primitive and specialized groups. The Family Telemidae majority are sedentary and spin webs in crevices on Telema mayana, new species cave walls and under detritus on the floor. Within Cueva Sepacuita, Guatemala these webs such spiders have no need for sight and Family Ochyroceratidae substitute keen chemotactic senses centered in recep- Theotima pura, new species tors on their appendages. The few hunting spiders Cueva de los Vampiros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. living exclusively in caves long ago deemphasized This paper could not have been realized without sight as a requirement of life activities. Representa- the aid of colleagues and friends dedicated to biologi- tives of all kinds live in Mexican and Central Ameri- cal and systematic studies of caves and their faunas. Mr. James Reddell and Professor Robert Mitchell, both of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, I This project has been supported in part by grants GB-3880 and GB-6524X1 of the National Science Foundation. outstanding students of Texas and Mexican caves, are responsible for most of the material of the present 2Home address: P. O. Box 157, Portal, Arizona 85632. report. New material from Central American caves 141 !"#$%&'(()*+,%-%.)/0+,* and much also from those in Mexico were made avail- FAMILY THERAPHOSIDAE able to me by Dr. Stewart Peck of Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. To these students and to their assist- The taxon stygia was based on a pale immature ants and to all others who have contributed to the specimen from Cueva de los Potrerillos with eye project, I offer my gratitude. All the material will be tubercle and eyes greatly reduced in size. A mature deposited in the collections of the American Museum female from the same cave has provided additional of Natural History in New York and The Museum, features that make desirable its assignment to the Texas Tech University in Lubbock. genus Schizopelma. This is only a tentative placement and cannot be regarded as definite without evidence from the male and deeper study of this difficult SUBORDER MYGAlOMORPHAE group. In this paper two additional species are de- Few mygalomorph spiders have become obligate scribed from cave habitats. One is a troglophile with cavernicoles so discovery of two additional ones from eye tubercle of medium height, black eye rings, and Mexican caves is of special interest. A completely legs of medium length. The second one, named eyeless Euagrus from San Luis Potos(differs striking- Schizopelma reddelli and taken from a mile deep ly from cavernicola of Tamaulipas caves and presents inside a cave in Oaxaca, has paler coloration and several derivative features. A pallid, long-legged thera- longer legs than those of stygia. Both stygia and phosid from Oaxaca with evanescent eyes is related to reddelli are presumed to be troglobites but more in- stygia of San Luis Potos(and both are herein assigned formation and material are necessary before that sta- tentatively to the genus Schizopelma. In Bulletin 4 of tus can be verified. An unusual feature of both species this journal (Gertsch, 1971, p. 48) I listed the few is absence of urticating hairs on the dorsum of the ab- then known troglobite mygalomorphs from the world domen, a distinct patch usually being present in but failed to record a blind diplurid from Australia, American genera of this family. described by Dr. Barbara Main (1969, pp. 9-11) on the basis of fragments from Roaches Rest Cave, one Schizopelma stygia (Gertsch) of the Nullarbor Caves. The four diplurids are all Aphonopelma stygia Gertsch, 1971, p. 49. whitish spiders without eyes and they are presumably restricted to cave habitats. The Cuban Troglothele Diagnosis-Probable troglobite with eye tubercle was based by Fage on a probably young specimen and eyes reduced in size; anterior median eyes pale, with all eyes totally absent. The status of the two much smaller than anterior lateral eyes; scopulae on Mexican theraphosids claimed to be troglobites is dis- all tarsi divided below by long row of setae; legs of cussed below. Both have the eye tubercles mostly medium length, first leg 3.7 times as long as carapace; obsolete and the eyes reduced to pale spots. The re- only simple hairs present on dorsum of abdomen; vised list of world mygalomorph troglobites follows: receptacles of epigynum (Fig. 2a) separated at base Family Dipluridae by about width of one. Accola caeca Simon, 1892, caves, Phi IIi pine Female-Total length 22 mm, not including che- Islands. licerae. Carapace 9.5 mm long, 8:3 mm wide. Abdo- Euagrus cavernicola Gertsch, 1971, caves, Tam- men 12 mm long, 6.5 mm wide. aulipas, Mexico. Carapace oval, truncated in front and behind, Euagrus anops, new species, Cueva de la Porra, covered thinly with procumbent hairs and weak setae San luis POtOSI: Mexico. but frontal margin with row of about forty stouter Troglodiplura lowryi Main, 1969, Roaches Rest setae. Pars cephalica subtriangular, as wide as long, Cave, Australia. demarked by shallow cephalic grooves; cervical groove Family Barychelidae deep transverse depression; pars thoracica with shal- Troglothele coeca Fage, 1929, Gruta Bellamar, low radiating grooves. Eye tubercle obsolete, not fully Cuba. third of frontal width. Eight small eyes present, ratio Family Theraphosidae in millimeters: ALE:AME:PLE:PME = 0.30:0.13: Schizopelma stygia (Gertsch), 1971, Cueva de 0.19:0.15. Front eye row moderately procurved; los Potrerillos, San Luis POtOSI: Mexico. anterior median eyes separated by diameter, farther Schizopelma reddelli, new species, Cueva del from lateral eyes (20/13). Posterior eye row straight; Nacimiento del R(o San Antonio, Oaxaca, oval median eyes separated by more than three diame- Mexico. ters (19/70), diameter from lateral eyes. Front of 142 !"#$%&'(()*+,%-%.)/0+,* carapace and eyes as shown in Fig. 1. Median ocular dian eyes dark, much larger than anterior lateral eyes; quadrangle broader than long (88/18), narrowed in anterior tarsi lacking conspicuous ventral rows of front (88/23). Sternum 4.5 mm long, 3.7 mm wide, setae; legs proportionately longer, first leg 4.5 times clothed with erect black hairs; four pairs of sigilla as long as carapace; receptacles of epigynum widely clearly evident. Labium 1.5 mm long and broad, separated at base (F ig. 2al. armed at tip with 16 small cuspules. Endite 3.8 mm Etymology-Named for Mr. James Reddell. long, 2 mm wide, with cluster of cuspules in basal Female-Total length 18 mm, not including cheli- third. Chelicerae robust, evenly rounded; promargin cerae. Carapace 10 mm long, 8.3 mm wide. Abdo- with 15 subequal black teeth; retromargin with thick men 12.5 mm long, 6 mm wide. band of reddish hairs. Entire spider orange to light brown; hairs mainly dusky and spines black; chelicerae and fangs dark red- I II III IV dish brown. Femur 9.15 8.15 8.00 10.50 Structure like that of stygia unless otherwise no- Patella 5.20 4.75 4.10 4.50 ted. Carapace truncated in front and margin with row Tibia 8.50 8.00 7.50 10.10 of about 24 stout setae. Eye tubercle mostly obso- Metatarsus 7.50 7.15 8.70 12.50 lete; eye group occupying fourth of width of pars Tarsus 5.10 4.90 5.15 6.40 cephalica. Eight small eyes present, pale except dark Total 35.35 32.95 33.45 44.00 anterior median eyes lying on trivial elevation; ratio Leg formula 4132. First leg 3.7 times, first femur of eyes in millimeters:ALE:AME:PLE:PME = 0.15: 0.96 times as long as carapace. Legs long, relatively 0.20:0.13:0.11. Front eye row moderately recurved; slender, with thin black spines. First tibia with 1-1-2 dark anterior median eyes subcontiguous, full dia- ventral spines; first metatarsus with 0-1-1 ventral meter from lateral eyes.